The Lama Who Never Was features Parshu Dahal's debut collection of eight short stories. His stories share one striking similarity...An unpredictable twist. Spinning twists are not only his forte. His inimitable knack for juxtaposing many social practices with oft-overlooked societal prejudices even against animals is very striking . In The River , The Narsingha Player, The Lama and the Sikkimese villager of yore, he explores deep relations humans develop with everything they come into contact with—musical instrument, animals, rivers—everything. The Priesthood and The Niece are woven around two aspects of human emotions—betrayal and remorse. The Lama who never was touches upon bed-wetting, a fairly common ailment amongst children that has a stigma attached to it. Raise your Standards is themed on the unbridled infidelity. Parshu Dahal weaves his stories around issues which could appear trivial and insignificant, hence often overlooked.